Valve setting template



March 16, 1943. e. GROSKRITZ VALVE SETTING TEMPLATE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 21, 1940 INVENTOR ATTORNEY March 16, 1943. s osk z 2,313,936 v VALVE SETTING TEMPLATE Filed D86.. 21, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3? 4 14? 5T1? are gifl LL INVENTOR 5211:95- Brash-ill ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 16, 194-3 UNHTED STATES PATENT OFFECE VALVE SETTING TEMPLATE George Groskritz, Hartford, Comm, assignor to United Aircraft Corporation; East Hartford, Conn, a corporation of Delaware i Application December 21, 1940, Serial No. 371,166

Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in valve setting templates and has particular reference to an improved template for obtaining the correct relative angular positions of the sleeve actuating devices of a sleeve valve engine.

An object of the invention resides in the provision of an improved Valve timing template for a sleeve valve engine which template may be conveniently positioned relative to each sleeve driving mechanism and may be conveniently set to indicate the proper angular position of the respective sleeve driving element.

A further object resides in the provision of a valve timing template of the character indicated for a multi-cylinder engine having means for conveniently indexing the template for the correct angular position of the valve actuating element for each respective engine cylinder.

Other objects and advantages will be more particularly pointed out hereinafter or will become apparent as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals are used to designate similar parts throughout, there is illustrated a suitable mechanical embodiment for the purpose of disclosing the invention. The drawings, however, are for the purpose of illustration only and are not to be taken as limiting or restricting the invention since it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes in the illustrated embodiment may be resorted to without in any way exceeding the scope of the invention.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is an elevational View of a valve timing template constructed according to the invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional View through an engine illustrating one type of valve actuating mechanism to which the template is applicable.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale through a fragmentary portion of the valve ac,- tuating gear shown in Fig. 2 showing the application of the improved valve timing template thereto.

Fig. 3a is a sectional View on an enlarged scale of the valve setting template the view being similar to that shown in Fig. 3 but with the related parts of the engine omitted, and

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view showing the relative angular position of the valve actuating elements of four cylinders of a six cylinder engme.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the template, particularly illustrated in Fig. 1, includes an annular member l0, conveniently formed from a relatively thin metal plate and having a generally circular periphery and a concentric circular aperture, and a slide member l2 having one edge shaped to fit the curvature of the aperture in the member ill. The annular member In is provided with a plurality of spaced apertures, as indicated at l4, l6, l8 and 20, positioned adjacent to its peripherial edge and is provided inwardly of these apertures with one or more circularly arranged rows of indicia asin'dicated at 22 and 24. The slide member I2 is provided with a circular aperture 26 and with a pair of oppositely disposed springs 28 and 30 which overlap the inner portion of the member Hi to secure the slide onto the plate Ill. The slide is provided with a mark 32 which co operates with the indicia on the gauge plate l'l) to indicate the angular position of the slide relative to the guide plate and one of the springs, for example the spring 30, may be provided with a detent 34 which engages in properly spaced recesses as indicated at 35 in the plate It] to releasably retain the slide in any one of the angular positions indicated by the indicia' on the plate; The exact shape and dimensions of the annular plate and the slide and the apertures in these members will become apparent from the following description of the engine parts with which the valve timing template cooperates.

The engine illustrated in Fig. 2 has a crank-- shaft 36 to which are secured connecting rods, as indicated at 38, connected with conventional engine pistons, not illustrated, reciprocable in respective engine cylinders, one of which is fragmentarily shown at 42. Within each cylinder there'is a reciprocable valve sleeve, as indicated at 44, actuated by a sleeve drive gear, generally indicated at 48. Since all of the valve actuating gear units of a multi-cylinder engine are identical it has been considered suificient to describe only one such unit for the purpose of disclosing the present invention.

While'a particular combination of engine parts hasbeen disclosed in considerable detail in Figs. 2 and 3, it is to be understood'that the application' of the valve timing templateis not limited to this particular combination of parts but may be adapted to other valve driving gears where'- ever its principles arefound' to apply.

In the engine construction illustrated, each sleeve is provided with an apertured lug, as indicated at 50 in Fig. 2; for receiving a respective ball joint 54 carried by respective crank'pin' 58 extending from respective gear member 62. These pins are eccentric to the'axis of rotation of the respective gear members so that as the gear members are rotated the respective sleeve lugs are given a rotary movement which slides the sleeves up and down in the respective cylinders and also imparts to them a turning movement relative to the cylinders. The gear 62 is mounted in an annular bearing 66 which is rigidly supported in a portion 10 of the engine crankcase particularly arranged for that purpose. The cylinders are arranged in one or more rows along the axis of the crankshaft 36. A valve shaft 12 extends along the cylinder row and is provided with gears, one of which is indicated at 14, one such gear meshing with the teeth 16 of each sleeve driving gear 62. In the construction illustrated, the gear bearing 66 is held in an annular seat provided in the crankcase portion 10 by suitable means, such as the cap screws 82 threaded into apertures provided in the crankcase portion 10 surrounding the bearing seat. The pin 58 is integral with its respective gear and thus has a fixed angular position with respect to the gear teeth 16.

Fig. 4 schematically shows a timing diagram for the valves of one row of four cylinders of a six cylinder engine. In this figure the various sleeve actuating gears 62a, 62b, 62c and 62d occupy various angular positions with respect to each other, these positions being coordinated with the respective throws of the engine crankshaft so as to open and close the engine intake and exhaust valve ports at the correct position of the crankshaft throws for the respective engine cylinders. These positions of the sleeve drive gears can be obtained by properly meshing each of these gears with the respective gear on the valve shaft 12.

This means that the valve must be properly timed during assembly of the engine and one suitable procedure for accomplishing this object is as follows:

A two part sleeve driving gear with its associated hearing, such as the gear 62 and bearing 66, may be inserted into the bearing seat in the portion 10 of the crankcase with the two parts of the gear free to rotate relative to each other and the teeth of the gear 62 in mesh with the teeth of the respective gear 14. The timing template is then positioned over the gear and bearing in such a manner that the cap screw apertures l4, l6, l8 and 20 in the annular member I!) are in alignment with corresponding cap screw apertures in the portion 10 of the crankcase immediately surrounding the corresponding bearing seat and the pin 58 projects through the aperture 26 in the slide i2. The apertures are so spaced that the gauge plate l will occupy the same angular position relative to all of the valve seats and cannot be attached in any other than the correct position. Cap screws may then be inserted through the registering apertures in the annular plate l0 and the crankcase portion surrounding the valve seat to retain the timing template in operative position. The slide l2 will then be moved to the proper index position relative to the annular member ill for the particular cylinder, carrying with it the pin 58 and thus rotating the pin carrying portion 16 of the gear 62 to the correct angular position of the pin 58. When the gear portion 16 has been brought to its proper angular position a locking pin 18 may be inserted to secure the two parts 16 and 80 of the gear 62 together against relative rotation. A hole for the pin may be provided in the portion 80 and a corresponding hole in the portion 16 provided after the pin 58 has been brought to the correct angular position or one of the portions may be provided with a plurality of spaced holes. Other suitable locking means may be provided for the two parts of the two part gear and other means may be utilized for determining the relative angular position of the mating valve shaft gears and sleeve drive gears, such as by keeping the respective gears out of mesh until the sleeve drive gears have been positioned and then bringing the mating gears into mesh. The timing template is then removed and shorter cap screws are inserted to retain the bearing 66 and gear 62 in operative position. The valve sleeve 44 is then brought into position and assembled with the pin 58 after which the cylinder 42 may be assembled and secured in position by the cylinder hold-down bolts 86.

The valve driving gear of each engine cylinder may be positioned in the same manner, the slide 12 being moved to the index position corresponding to the particular cylinder for which the valve drive gear is being positioned.

The plate Ii] is so dimensioned that it covers the cap screw apertures surrounding the valve seat and the cap screw apertures in this member are so located that they will register with corresponding apertures surrounding the valve seat when the member is in proper position. The central aperture in this plate member ID is also dimensioned so that it will clear the sleeve driving pins in order that these pins with their corresponding gears may be rotated freely with the timing template secured in place. The aperture 26 in the slide i2 is dimensioned and located so that it correctly fits the sleeve driving pin and, as stated above, the slide is shaped and constructed so that it can be moved within the member Hi to various indicated positions. In the arrangement illustrated, a portion of the annular plate H] is shown cut away to clear an obstruction constituted by the portion of the crankcase part 18 along the upper or outer part of the valve seat.

While a suitable mechanical embodiment has been hereinabove described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings for the purpose of disclosing the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular embodiment so illustrated and described but that such changes in the size, shape and arrangement of the various parts may be resorted to as come within the scope of the sub-joined claims.

Having now described the invention so that others skilled in the art may clearly understand the same, what it is desired to secure by Letters Patent is as follows:

1. An engine valve timing template comprising, a flat annular member having means thereon to secure said member in a predetermined position to a relatively fixed engine part, and an indexing member positoned within said annular member and movable to various indicated positions about said annular member, and means carried by said indexing member for engaging a movable engine part and retaining said movable engine part in an indexed position relative to said fixed engine part.

2. An engine valve timing template comprising, a flat annular member provided with a relatively large central aperture and adapted to be secured to a relatively fixed part of an engine, and an indexing member positioned within said aperture and movable about said aperture in said annular member to various indicated positions. said indexing member having an aperture therethrough adapted to receive a valve actuating pin.

3. An engine valve timing template as set forth in claim 2 including a pair of opposed spring members supporting said indexing member on said annular member.

4. An engine valve timing template as set forth in claim 2 including a pair of opposed spring members supporting said indexing member on said annular member, one of said spring mem- 10 

